A Psychotherapists' View of the Charlie Sheen Saga

Updated on November 7, 2014

Charlie Sheen, a man in crisis

If I could make a dime off every conversation that is occurring in the world right now about Charlie Sheen, I would be rich. I will put on my professional hat for this article since I feel the need to educate the public about mental health and addiction. Let me start out by saying, " let us not judge."

Charlie Sheen is a man in crisis, in need of treatment. I believe that he has a dual-diagnosis in that he displays symptoms of mental illness and addiction. I feel it is so unethical for those out there trying to make money at the sacrifice of this Hollywood stars' pain. I saw a video showing Charlie Sheen making millions because of tweets and videos he is putting out. It takes those with high integrity to say no to Charlie. He is in no condition to be involved in TV interviews, videos, public service announcements and the like. What has happened to our humanity? I am ashamed of the platform we have given this Hollywood star and human being in crisis. He is at the most critical and vulnerable point of his life and we need to see this for what it is.

I want to ask all of you reading this to think about how it would feel if our lives were out in the media for all to see. I know I would not want this attention in any way, shape or form. Charlie Sheen is not just human, but is a Hollywood star that lives in a fishbowl. I am asking all of us to stop the insanity and stand up for man kind. Lets stop watching the media blitzes on this vulnerable mans life as it unravels. Let us remind others that try to pull us into an unconscious conversation, to Just Say No. Lets move to a higher spiritual level and check our gossip at the door. Lets move to a new level that lets us see the real issue here. Lets band together and make this our cause. What can I do to help those in need ? Instead of making Charlie Sheen the butt of our jokes, let us come together in dialogue about how sad this really is. Lets educate ourselves in our communities on the issue of mental health and addiction.

Mental illness and addiction is no laughing matter. If you check out the research on mental illness in the USA and other countries, you notice that we all are touched by mental illness. Lets take this sad state of affairs that this man is suffering from and learn from it. Let us educate ourselves on mental illness and dual-diagnosis and see that we need to see this as a serious issue.

I challenge us to find the wisdom within our hearts and souls. Remember, there is no one without flaw.

Comments 15 comments

Couldn't resist entering the fray, could you? What's a psychotherapist's take on most people's obsession with witnessing a fellow human being's self destruction? That would make for an interesting hub! JR

Healing Touch 5 years ago from Minnetonka, MN Author

jrsearam,

self destruction and self loathing.

LoraKayAlexander 5 years ago

Maybe the only outlet Charlie has is in front of the media.

He chooses this for some reason. Perhaps it is his cry for help. Any of us could be in the same shape, if we choose it.

Good writing.

Healing Touch 5 years ago from Minnetonka, MN Author

LoraKayAlexander,

I am glad you stopped by. Perhaps it is his cry for help.

Peace

Pamela Kinnaird W 5 years ago from Maui and Arizona

Good writing! And thanks for quoting Charles Dickens. I had never read that quote before.

Healing toucg 5 years ago

Pamela K

Thanks for coming by. I am glad you enjoyed the quote.

ahostagesituation 5 years ago

I appreciate this. I was on a rampage about Britney Spears when her breakdown was everyone's breakfast comedy. It's not funny. Celebrities are human beings who have to have their mistakes be everyone else's news. That's not cool. What if everyone we knew had to wear their credit score on their chest? Or the last three lies they told emailed to all their friends and families? People who have nothing better to do than to enjoy someone else's misfortune need to find something better to do. That's a bunch of bullcrap.

Healing Touch 5 years ago from Minnetonka, MN Author

ahostagesituation

I love the credit score idea. I so agree with you. It's easier for those to not look at their crap and focus on others issues.

Jean Bakula 5 years ago from New Jersey

Hello,

Nice hub! I have a brother with addictions, and watching Charlie Sheen self destruct makes me feel sad. Nobody seems to get that he has demons and is suffering, just putting a "star" face on it. Thanks for being so thoughtful.

Fluffy77 5 years ago from Enterprise, OR

This is absolutely beautiful, to enlighten others of this very serious issue here. We should try to get more positives done from this than just all of the needless negatives so far. I do see that there is a real problem here and I complete understand, me and my family for one have made the choice not to talk much about this unless it's helpful to us all in some ways. Since as you so wisely pointed out we are all of us touched by these illness's and problems here, none of us should be judging at all. Thank you so much for doing this!

psychonaut 5 years ago from Eastern Europe

I love your compassionate response to this very public distress which the vampire media are feeding on.

But there's another aspect I have noticed: in the middle of all this, Charlie Sheen has actually articulated some profound insights into society, civilization and the nature of public life and celebrity. I'm not saying that I'm espousing him as a new philosophical guru, more simply observing that nothing and no one is every quite black and white.

Thanks for you thoughtful hub!

Alladream74 5 years ago from Oakland, California

Thanks for the sensitive article.The media will latch on anything that will give them mileage. We have developed into such an insensitive society. It is good to know there are people like you who care.

mjfarns 5 years ago from Bloomington, Illinois USA

I completely agree with the main thesis of this article: Charlie has a sickness. I think in a lot of ways celebrities with addictions are actually more disadvantaged than the normal population. If I hadn't worked at a rehab center, I would definitey see Charlie Sheen in a very different light. I grew up with this guy in movies being the "bad guy you root for". Not anymore. That guy I knew is no longer behind the wheel. Not even close.

stars439 5 years ago from Louisiana, The Magnolia and Pelican State.

Dear Healing Touch : What a terrible shame he has and addiction. He seems like such a wonderful actor like his dad. God Bless You Precious Heart.

Anastasia Rokina 2 years ago

Thank you for this.

Even if people are unaware/ignorant of the fact that addiction and recovery is an incredibly difficult journey to endure, they should be more humane.